Mostly flowers and butterflies along the ORC

One sunny early morning this week, Andy M walked the Old Railway Cutting, and was rewarded with a fine display of many species of butterflies and flowers.

Ringlet male - upper wings have small dark dots with faint paler rings

(more prominent on the underside)

Large Skipper - note the mottling towards the wing edges

Large Skipper

Essex Skipper - note the short straight 'sex brand' and black antennae tips

Essex Skipper

Small Skipper male - note longer and slightly curved 'sex brand', and orange antennae tip

Small Skipper - female. Note orange antennae tips (just visible in photo)

female Skipper (likely Small Skipper)

Marbled White

Meadow Brown female

Comma - note the small white 'comma' on lower underside wing

Comma

Green-veined White - with darker 'shading' along wing veins 

Small White

Field Poppy and Ox-eye Daisy along the field edge

Wild Marjoram

Hemlock - starting to go over

Field Scabious

White Campion

Fabulous show of Mullein ...

... which are a huge hit with the Hoverflies

Hoverflies on Mullein

Field Poppy

Wild Parsnip

Mating Craneflies on Wild Parsnip

Hoverfly on Wild Parsnip

Hoverfly homing in on Red Dead-nettle flowers

Red Dead-nettle

Lady's Bedstraw

Hedge Bedstraw

Wild Marjoram

Hoverfly on Wild Marjoram

Field Poppy and Ox-eye Daisy